A Speedster Tail
by Queen of deNile
Summary: Mermaid AU. Prince Wally's life has been good ever since his uncle, King Barry, overthrew his father, the ruthless King Rudolph. But what happens when a new threat could be brewing? Sounds strange but I promise it's good


**So...I don't really know where this came from, but the plot bunnies wouldn't leave me alone. Just read it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters**

Wally swam faster and faster, the powerful muscles of his shimmering tail trembling with the strain of pumping so hard at this speed. He was one of the fastest merpeople in Atlantis, besides, of course, his Uncle Barry, gosh dang it, and he really should be able to get places on time.

Wally maneuvered himself with a practiced elegance, dodging sharp reefs and slicing through schools of jewel-colored fish that scattered in every direction. With one last flick of his tail he turned around a huge chunk of coral and paused, as he always did, to admire the beautiful city that his uncle ruled.

Wally smiled slightly before taking off again, moving closer and closer towards the thriving underwater metropolis that he would one day rule. The guards at the gate spotted him and rolled their eyes with amusement, quite accustomed to the tardiness and antics of their 16-year-old prince. They floated aside and Wally grinned at them, flashing a two-fingered salute before sliding through the barely-ajar golden doors and plowing onto the street inside.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed good-naturedly as he nearly ran into a elder, blue-tailed merwoman carrying a basket of underwater Meech blooms, a fruit delicacy. "Excuse me, ma'am!" This earned him a frown before the merwoman recognized him, and then the frown turned into a gentle smile.

"That's quite alright, my Prince, but I would suggest you watch where you're going in the future." Wally grinned at her and swam back over to replace a fallen Meech bloom to her basket.

"Yes, ma'am," He gave her one more parting smile then continued his rushed frenzy, weaving between buildings above the general crowd, so he wouldn't run into anyone else, and finally reaching the huge castle that he resided in with his uncle, aunt, grandfather, their close friend, Max, and countless attendants and other staff.

He climbed in altitude and finally reached the balcony to his room, unlocking the balcony doors with a key pulled from the nifty pocket in his tail, and barging inside. The room was empty. Whew, what a workout.

Wally had been exploring outer reaches of the kingdom, speaking with merpeople that resided outside the city and generally having a lovely day. He had even spotted a large sailing vessel riding the crashing waves, and had discreetly watched them pass, marveling at the magnificent ship and its strange, 2-legged passengers. His Uncle Barry, Wally knew, would be very disapproving of this adventure.

The king was very protective of his nephew, and Wally's Aunt Iris was just the same. Wally's Grandpa Jay and close family friend and advisor Max had adopted the same protectiveness, and Wally's leash was very short as far as they all were concerned. Wally supposed he should be grateful they ever took him in at all, they certainly had had no obligation towards the son of the overthrown king.

Wally's father, Rudolph West, had been a cruel and tyrannical dictator, who had cared nothing for his subjects or kingdom, only the money and power they brought him. Rudolph had been despised by all, and rebellions and uprisings had been a common occurrence, but Rudolph had squashed them all with a powerful, and very loyal, military force.

Rudolph married his wife, Mary, and together they had Wally, who they had hoped would be a promising heir to his father's empire.

Eventually King Rudolph's sister, Iris, had married a respected, charismatic upper-class citizen named Barry Allen who had a lot of influence on the people because of his popularity among them. He had hoped to bring this merman to his side and institute an alliance, which would cause him to assume control of Barry's extensive military forces, but Barry had been firmly against Rudolph's ways.

King Rudolph had let Barry live at the begging insistence of his sister, but had not approved of him in any way. The way that Barry had treated his son with compassion and had begun to lead him away from the disciplinary life that Rudolph forced him to pursue did not sit well with the king either.

Then, more uprisings started to pop up everywhere, from the farthest reaches of the kingdom to as close as his front door. King Rudolph discovered that Barry Allen had been encouraging these rebellions, even funding some of them. Furious, the king decided to be rid of Allen once and for all. He brought together his forces and called upon his closest allies, the Professor Zoom and Lord Malcolm Thawne, to aid him in securing his subjects and forcing them into submission.

Barry Allen rose to their challenges. He brought in his own allies, which each had extensive armies and experience, and they fought the forces of the king. These allies, Lord Bruce Wayne and a powerful businessman, Oliver Queen, assisted him in a year-long bloody war that ended with the rebels as the victors.

Barry overthrew King Rudolph and banished him and his allies to the farthest reaches of the ocean, where they would be held in a prison in another kingdom's realm and never be heard from again. Bruce and Oliver helped Barry to establish himself as the new rightful king, as the husband of the princess Iris, and though it took several years they managed to build up a content, well-run New Kingdom to replace the Old.

Barry had always been fond of Wally. When Rudolph had been banished, 10-year-old Wally had thought he would be forced to go along with him, since his mother had died when he was very young. However, Barry's actions surprised him.

Barry took him in and welcomed him with open arms, as did Iris and Barry's mentor and surrogate father Jay, who Wally had come to think of as a grandfather. He promised Wally that when he was older he would take the throne and rule, but also that he would be a much better and kinder ruler than his father before him.

Many of the merpeople had been wary of the young prince who had been born to this evil king. They believed he would adopt the way of his father and become a cruel dictator. However, as Wally had grown older he had shown them all the exact opposite. He had become a charming and polite young merman, with a contagious laugh and handsome features. He was kind and generous, and had a beautiful singing voice, a trait valued greatly in the mercommunity.

For Wally, life was good. He was a prince in a beautiful, thriving kingdom, and he had a wonderful family that loved him.

However, sometimes that love could be suffocating. Over the years Wally and his uncle had gotten closer and closer, and Wally thought of the man as his father, dearly wishing that that were true. But this affection also led to a fierce protectiveness, and Barry was careful to constantly watch over Wally and be aware of his location at all times.

He wasn't really supposed to go outside of the gates, but Barry allowed it on occasion as long as someone accompanied him. This time it had been Dick and Roy, the wards of Bruce and Oliver respectively, who had acted as "bodyguards" to their prince. The three were very good friends, however, so Wally didn't mind their company in the least.

The three had grown up together after Barry had take the kingdom, and they were often inseparable, even declaring themselves brothers. They were the only ones besides Wally's family that didn't treat him like royalty, but instead gave him crap and joked with him just as they would with any other merperson, and Wally loved them for that.

Wally scrambled to collect himself as a sharp knock was wrapped on the door. He ran a hand through his hair before snatching his golden crown off his dresser, throwing it messily on his head, and called out a quick, "Come in!"

The door was pushed open and Queen Iris entered, a beautiful woman with a sparkling tiara sitting in the bright hair that rivaled Wally's in vibrancy and a tail with scales of stunning royal purple. She smiled knowingly, as if she suspected how close he had been to being late, readjusted the crown on Wally's head, and gestured for him to follow her out the door.

"Now, Wally, remember: you don't have to say anything during the council meeting, but it's good to show them that you have a hand in the political affairs. Barry, Bruce, and Oliver will do most of the talking, but feel free to chime in if you've got something important on your mind." Iris went through the same checklist Wally heard every time the council met to discuss the running of the kingdom.

"Of course, Aunt I, I got it," He declared, swishing his golden-orange tail to propel himself through the ornate hallways, past the many doors, and finally to the Great Hall. They turned left and entered through a large, grand door to the equally grand room beyond. King Barry sat at the head of the table, a similar crown to Wally's on his head but slightly larger, chatting quietly with Bruce, who sat two seats to his left. Bruce seemed stressed about something, his eyebrows furrowed and expression taught. Oliver was also present, as well as Jay, Max, and the half a dozen other trusted nobleman of the council.

When Wally and Iris made their entrance, all eyes were quickly on them. Barry waved them over, and they swam to take their usual spots at the rectangular table, with Iris to Barry's right and Wally to his left.

However, Barry stopped Wally as he was about to bend into the seat.

"Walls, I'm sorry kid, but we're going to need to have this meeting without you." Barry spoke in a hushed tone so that only Wally could hear. The other occupants of the room had the decency to turn their attention elsewhere. "I'll tell you about it later, alright? Go wait in your room and I'll come get you when it's over."

Wally was puzzled and very surprised by his sudden dismissal. He opened and closed his mouth once, the confusion clearly translating onto his features. Seeing this, Barry sighed and propelled himself out of his chair. He waved his hand, indicating for Wally to follow him, and lead the way out the doors as every head turned to watch them go.

King Barry quietly shut the door behind them, then turned to face his nephew. He placed a warm hand on the young merman's shoulder with a gentle smile, bracing himself for the oncoming conversation. Wally didn't particularly enjoy these meetings, but he wanted to always be in the loop so he attended anyway, and it was odd and a bad sign that he was being asked to leave.

"Look, kiddo, we're going to be talking about some things that I don't want you there for. I promise I have my reasons, and I'll update you on everything you need to know afterward, okay?"

Wally scrunched his features, obviously worried about the implications of his uncle's request.

"Is everything alright, Uncle Barry? I know I can handle whatever it is, and anyway, I should get used to being involved in these kinds of difficult decision making, whatever it is."

Barry supposed he should be glad that his nephew was so adamant about keeping his seat in the council for this meeting; it showed that he would not bow so easily to pressure from others. However, he really needed Wally to understand that this wasn't the time to be defiant.

"I'm just going to need you to trust me, Wally. This isn't something that I want you to be involved with just yet," Barry used his kingly voice, the one that commanded respect but was still gentle; the one that Wally knew meant these would be the final words on the subject.

Wally chewed his bottom lip, his mind at war with itself for a long moment. Then, slowly, hesitantly, he nodded his agreement. He did trust his uncle to make the best decisions, after all.

"Okay, but you have to tell me everything. No skimping on the details, alright?"

King Barry chuckled and smiled a loving smile that was reserved for very few in Barry's life. He cupped the side of Wally's face and rubbed a thumb up the line of his jaw affectionately; the merfolk we a very free with their touches and physical contact. Barry silently appraised his nephew proudly before pulling him into a smothering hug. Wally grunted slightly in the typical protest of a teenager but wound his muscled arms around Barry's broad chest and hugged back tightly.

"Wait in your room, okay?"

"Yes, Uncle, in my room," Wally agreed pleasantly. He took off down the hall and Barry watched as he disappeared from sight. The smile slid off of his face as he remembered why kicking his nephew out had been necessary. He adopted a grim expression and adjusted his shining crown in his short blonde hair, re entering the conference room and preparing himself for the difficult discussion ahead.

XxBREAKLINExX

King Barry's expression was firm and determined as he argued his point yet again, his bright red tail swishing in agitation.

"The prison has proven insecure. We cannot allow for the possibility that Rudolph or any of his allies should escape, a breach in security like that could threaten the safety of the entire kingdom. They must not be allowed to break free." Sensing how worked up her husband was getting, Queen Iris laid a light hand on his back, steadying him.

"And they won't, my King," Diana tried to reassure King Barry, her midnight hair swirling around her shoulders and the silver bracelets around her wrists reflecting light every which way as she gestured with her hands. "Bell Rev prison has never allowed the escape of an inmate in its many decades of service. A small disturbance should not be made out as a threat to the stability of all of Atlantis, this would only frighten the citizens."

"But I do believe it warrants extra attention," Bruce cut in with an expression nearly as dark as his jet black tail. "The prisoners rioted, this cannot be written off as a mere disturbance. It has been shown, now, that those who run the prison do not possess full control of their inmates. Hugo Strange may have a fierce reputation, but he's not as invincible as he would like us to think."

"You're just being paranoid, Bruce, one riot is not the equivalent of a breakout," Oliver argued.

"Three."

"What?"

"There were three riots," Clark, the incredibly muscled merman informed him.

"Oh. Well, that's a little different," Oliver looked a bit startled. Everyone at the table looked at him incredulously; they had already been over that fact.

Barry took a deep breath. As the king, he had to keep his full composure at all times when around other government officials such as the council. He may be the king, but that didn't mean he could afford for them to think of him as indecisive or weak. King Barry rightfully had a sparkling reputation, but he wasn't a pushover in any sense. Before the king could speak his mind, another beat him to it.

"We must consider, as well, that this not only affects the safety of the kingdom but also the safety of the royal family and its associates," Jay reminded them, with a quick, reassuring look in King Barry's direction. The king gratefully nodded at him to continue, and the queen smiled softly. "If Rudolph escapes, I would suspect that his first move would not be to attack the kingdom, but to secure his son at his side."

And this is where they got to the part of the conversation that Barry had not wanted Wally to be present for. While Rudolph had never shown love for his son, he did see him as a powerful asset as an heir and as a political figure, and he would be desperate to have him back. Barry couldn't let that happen.

Over the years of King Barry's rule, Wally had become a son to him in every way but blood. He loved him as much as he loved his wife and wouldn't be able to stand it if he was hurt by something that Barry could've prevented. As much as he knew Wally would hate it, Barry planned to keep him as far away from the dangerous dealings with inmates and their possible escapes as possible; he just wasn't willing to risk his safety in any way. Iris and Barry shared a look; the same thoughts were running through her mind.

"The Prince is safe in the castle, protected by legions of guards as well as the members of this council. And in any case, we are only speaking hypothetically so far. There has not yet been a breach in the prison, nor do we have much basis to believe that there should be in the near future. Yes, riots have occurred, but the fortress continues to hold steady," Clark stated.

This made Max Mercury, a grey-haired merman with a silvery tail who was as close to the king and his family as they were to each other, looked perturbed by this statement.

"Sure, there may not yet have been an escape, but that does not mean that we should not worry about these new developments."

"And if we have the opportunity to take precautions now, why would we hesitate?" Iris finally added to the conversation, having had enough of their arguments.

"And what, exactly, are you suggesting that we do?" Shayera inquired, gaze flickering between Max, Iris, and finally to Barry, along with all of the other eyes in the room. The king firmly set his expression, becoming the powerful authoritative figure that had allowed him to overthrow a hated king and run a kingdom.

"We need to post more guards, send some of our own if we must. More regular updates of security and the state of the prisoners would also be required. The safety of my kingdom and my nephew is at stake, and I'm not willing to compromise on the subject. Until I am sure that the Old Kingdom's ruler and his allies are secure, we will focus our attention in keeping them locked away. Bruce, I want you and Hal to handle the correspondence between the council and Strange. Don't let him cut corners, make sure he knows his recent incompetence has my full attention now."

The room was silent for a moment as the council members pondered their king's demands. Slowly, acceptance and understanding began to dawn on each face, and they were won over by Barry's small speech.

King Barry looked over to his best friend, Hal Jordan, an ambassador and willful warrior from another, far away kingdom whom he had met shortly after he took the throne. The two men had hit it off, and Hal had made the decision to move to Atlantis and assist its king in establishing his rule. Barry trusted Hal with his life and the lives of his family with no question.

"Will you be able to accomplish this?" He asked of the foreigner.

Hal nodded, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Of course it can be done. Remember we're all on your side for this, Barry, and we want what's best for Prince Wally as much as you do." Barry nodded in agreement. "And," Hal continued, "we will all do everything we can to keep your kingdom secure."

XxBREAKLINExX

As Wally swam away, leaving his uncle to watch him go from the hallway, he pondered what could be going on in the Council Room. Flicking his tail a little harder in annoyance, he flew through the clear blue waters of the hallways back to his room like he had promised he would.

Wally wasn't a submissive person, his personality really just didn't allow for that. He was the type to fight it out until the end. However, when it came to his uncle and the rest of his family, he knew that they were too protective to ever make a decision concerning him that they weren't absolutely sure of, so why did he feel so unsettled about his uncle's dismissal of him?

Caught in his inner monologue, the young prince didn't even realize that he had reached the double doors of his bedroom until he had already made it a few feet too far. Mentally face-palming, Wally smirked to himself, letting his playful personality shine back through. He did a quick backflip in the water, twisting himself around to face his room.

With a strong push the doors swung open and Wally swam inside, making sure to shut them firmly behind them. He set his crown back onto the large dresser in his room and then flopped down on his back onto the king sized bed, sinking into the delicate red and gold sheets that layered it.

Wally groaned and closed his eyes, scrubbing his hands over his face. He just really hoped that his uncle would make good on his assurances that he would inform him of everything he needed to know.

A light tapping reached Wally's ears and he stiffened, swiftly pulling his hands from his face and turning in the direction of the sound. Sitting up, Wally realized it was coming from the balcony doors, which were currently hidden from his view by long red curtains.

Wally cautiously got up and swam to the curtains, gently pulling one back to reveal the glass doors of the balcony. He didn't see anything unusual...

Whoa!

An ebony head suddenly popped down from the top of the doors outside, nearly right in front of Wally's face. Wally started a bit, but recovered quickly and then a huge grin graced his handsome features. The boy outside smirked back and flipped himself around so that he was right side up, waving at the prince mischievously. Wally waved back and undid the latch of the doors, moving back and the smaller merman entered.

"Geez, Dick, was that really necessary?"

The dark haired boy, Dick, laughed good naturedly and performed a quick flip in the water before answering, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Yes, actually, I do think it was. You should've seen your face!" He managed to force out between giggles. Dick Grayson's tail was dark with red accents that glinted when he swished it around, always moving. He and Wally had been best friends since they were young, and the two could often be found horsing around together, sometimes accompanied by Roy Harper, a merman two years older than Wally and four years older than Dick.

Dick swished over to Wally's bed and slumped down into the same position the prince had been in earlier, perfectly at home. Wally swam over and flicked him in the ear before lying down on his stomach next to him, head buried in his folded arms. Seeing this, Dick flipped over to lay perpendicular to Wally, shoving his face right up next to the red head's.

"What's got your tail in a twist?" Dick inquired, cocking his head to the side. Wally sighed a turned onto his back, hands folded on his toned stomach and tail flickering around in the air.

"My uncle's keeping something from me, he even kicked me out of the council meeting! I'm just worried; he never does stuff like this, or if he does, he always gives me a good reason."

"He didn't give you an explanation at all?" Dick questioned.

"Well, he said he 'had his reasons,' and I'm sure he does have good ones, but still. What is it that could be so important I'm not allowed to be in the room?"

"He's just trying to protect you, Walls. And as much as I hate it when Bruce does the same thing to me, it always ends up alright in the end. The king knows what he's doing."

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side for these things?" Wally joked, flashing a smile at the ceiling. "But yeah, you're right. I just hope if it's anything too bad he'd let me know, let me help him."

"Don't worry too much, you'll get wrinkles on that pretty-boy face of yours," Dick snorted.

Wally quickly threw out a hand to smack his friend, but the ebony darted out of his reach with a cackle. Wally sped up and out of the bed after him, latching onto his tail and dragging him to the ground. The two wrestled there are the tiles, tails tangling around each other, before Wally managed to get the higher ground and pinned Dick's shoulders to the floor.

"Jealous? It's alright, I'm hot, I get it," Wally laughed loudly, previous worries forgotten for the moment.

"Of you? Ha, that's funny!" Dick yanked his tail out from under Wally and twisted it around the prince's, pulling him backwards. Wally let out a very undignified squeak and suddenly Dick was holding his shoulders down instead.

Wally rolled his eyes, laughter still pouring out of his mouth.

"Oh, get off of me," He ordered playfully, shoving the younger boy up and flicking his tail so that he was upright again. The two teenagers both stopped for a moment to catch their breath, chuckles bubbling out every few seconds. Then Wally remembered what had upset him, and his smile faltered.

Seeing this, Dick sighed and pulled on his friend's arm, leading him to sit down on the bed. He plopped down next to him and shoved his shoulder lightly.

"Look, I know this has really got you worried, but if the king said he'd tell you what's up, he will. He loves you more than anything and you know that, Wally. Your uncle is just trying to do what's best for you."

Wally nodded, still seeming uncertain.

"But…" Dick continued, "If you really wanted to know, there are ways…"

Wally raised an eyebrow at him, encouraging him to continue.

"Well," Dick began slowly, "actually, you know what? Bad idea. Forget I said anything. Wanna go bug Roy?"

Wally grabbed his arm as he started to get up and swim away, dragging him back down. "What do you mean, 'there are ways'?" He demanded.

"And then I said bad idea for a reason, Wally. You know how much trouble we would get in for spying on the council meetings? I mean, I'd get the stern looks and lectures and silent treatment for weeks, and your uncle would lock you in your room before you could blink."

Wally nodded slightly, a thoughtful look passing over his features. Dick's eyes widened; he realized that Wally knew exactly what he had been getting at.

"Oh, no. Ohhh, no you don't. I'm an idiot, I never should've opened my mouth, please, Wally, tell me you realize how stupid that would be. Please." Dick swam directly in front of Wally, grabbing his upper arms and looking him straight in the eyes. "Eavesdropping on the Council is not only incredibly stupid, it's also really disrespectful. Come on, Wally, you may be the prince but your uncle is still the king. You have to do what he says,"

Normally Dick wouldn't pull out the 'your uncle is the king, listen to him' card, but he needed to force this through Wally's head. Wally glared at him slightly, but after a moment he rolled his eyes and pulled out of Dick's grip, swimming over to the adjoining washroom. He rested his palms on the countertop and leaned towards the mirror, making eye contact with the merman in the mirror.

His bright green eyes set off his freckles nicely, fiery red hair completing the look. He had tan skin, as most merpeople did, but it wasn't nearly as dark as some of the others he knew. He had dark tattoos wrapped around his upper right arm and some down his back, a sign of his royal status. The art on his bicep consisted of one thin, simple band, and right above it another band that was very similar, but for the jagged points on the top half. It almost looked like a crown that circled around his arm.

Down his back was an intricate stretch of swirls and jagged edges that ran from his left shoulder down his side, then stretched across the bottom of his back. King Barry had similar tattoos, but he hadn't gotten them at birth like the members of the royal family did. Instead, he had had them done after he claimed the throne, simply to solidify his position and insure the merpeople that he was there to stay. Queen Iris had similar designs, but they were more feminine and less rough; delicate.

Dick followed him in, scrambling to find a way to distract his friend. "Come on, dude, let's go find something to do." Wally spun back around and smiled at him, allowing himself to forget the worries for the moment.

"Yeah, man, what'd you say about bugging Roy?" Dick's grin widened, and together they sped out the balcony doors and headed off to find their friend.

XxBREAKLINExX

Professor Zoom followed the line of other inmates to the fenced from all sides recreation area and allowed a guard to remove his handcuffs. He carefully scanned the entire yard. Another, seedier looking guard caught his eye and tilted his head to beacon the previously powerful merman over to his side of the yard.

Zoom swam over slowly enough that he didn't draw attention to himself. When he reached the guard the merman pulled out a keyring and inserted one into the heavy lock of a door leading back into the compound. Without another word he swung open the door, allowing Zoom to speed through it and locking it behind him.

Zoom followed his carefully laid out plan to the letter. He followed the dark hallway and found the small exit that had been left unlocked for him. He opened it slowly and came face-to-face to another guard. The guard examined him closely before recognizing him and allowing Zoom to pass. Zoom smirked, pleased, as he made his escape, jetting out and weaving around coral reefs unapproachable by all merpeople except for maybe Barry Allen and his brat of a nephew.

At the thought of the current king and young prince, Zoom's expression darkened. He would get revenge on Allen, and destroy his precious nephew while he was at it. Zoom had been wronged, not only by Allen but by his old "friend" Rudolph, and now it was his time to rise to power. Allen wouldn't know what hit him until it was too late.

**So yeah, like I said, weird stuff. Sorry there's not much of a resolution, but I needed to get this out of my system so that I can go back to writing the next chapter of Party Crasher.**

**Please tell me what you thought, I'd really appreciate it!**


End file.
